Clinical Data and Duke University to Collaborate on Statin PGx Research

NEW YORK, May 12 (GenomeWeb News) - Clinical Data announced today that it has entered into a five-year research collaboration agreement with the Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy at Duke University to discover genetic variants associated with baseline lipid parameters and the response of these parameters to statins.

Under terms of the agreement, Clinical Data's PGxHealth division will non-exclusively provide Duke with confidential access to its Strength studies, which involved evaluating the response of 679 patients to atorvastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin, and cerivastatin; genotopying approximately 175 genes; and evaluating 700 control patients at baseline. In return, Clinical Data will have the right to evaluate the commercial potential of any findings derived from Duke studies which used Strength clinical and/or genetic databases.

Duke researchers are planning a series to studies to find and validate associations between genetic variants and responses to drugs used for dyslipidemia, or hypercholesterolemia, Clinical Data said. The university is also planning on carrying out similar studies in the areas of hypertension and asthma.